Jason Botterill Discussion 3

[sabremike]

It doesn't matter how you reached a destination. What matters is arriving at the destination.

Third year. No signs of improvement.

Why is this guy getting any more time?

Be afraid, be VERY afraid (and yes I know it's Harrington, but on this I absolutely believe he is telling the truth)

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Be afraid, be VERY afraid (and yes I know it's Harrington, but on this I absolutely believe he is telling the truth)

Their hand will be forced, the fans are this close to revolting anyway

 

[jd1970]

Botteril told the Pegulas this would be another lost season (which it is), but everything would be different next year when he had more cap room. The Pegulas obviously bought it. This is why Botteril speaks of improving the team "a little " this season.
Look for a token trade, a 3rd line nobody in the coming days.

 

[Duddy]

And when non of the good FAs are coming to Buffalo, we'll spend all the money on more defenders and Veseys of the world.

Can't wait, what a great plan.

 

[sabremike]

Botteril told the Pegulas this would be another lost season (which it is), but everything would be different next year when he had more cap room. The Pegulas obviously bought it. This is why Botteril speaks of improving the team "a little " this season.
Look for a token trade, a 3rd line nobody in the coming days.

In terms of being a complete and clueless mark Dixie Carter has nothing on the Pegulas.

 

[OkimLom]

In terms of being a complete and clueless mark Dixie Carter has nothing on the Pegulas.

She should've just stayed away from screen time. She meant well, she just didn't know what she was doing.

And as I am typing this, I'm realizing I'm foreshadowing my comments for a later date, to be determined.

 

[mechaworm]

It really won't be that much cap space unless they let some guys go or leave nothing to sign Dahlin. The idea that they have a really great off-season coming up seems under considered to me.

 

[sabrebuild]

How did I forget about Tavares?

Pajama talk is camouflage!

 

[Tyler2829]

Lol. Convincing the Pegulas everything will be alright when all that cap comes off is quite hilarious considering the majority of that is from guys he acquired.

 

[Zman5778]

Their hand will be forced, the fans are this close to revolting anyway

I don't think so. I do think that the Pegulas love Botteril.....and I do think he's going to get the chance to reshape this roster with our cap room next year.

That said, I'm also pretty sure that if he falls flat this offseason and the team doesn't look appreciably better next year he's in trouble.

EDIT: I also look at it this way: we're one point ahead of NHL 0.500 pace. If you were to say to me "After the first quarter of the season, we'd be at 23 points through 22 games with a goal differential of -4"......I think I'd take that. I think what is making this so hard for some fans is that we started out looking great and cooled off. No consistency. Let's see what happens now. I can certainly imagine a scenario where we get consistent and end up around 85/90 points............which I think is where many expected us to be.

 

[sabrebuild]

I don't think so. I do think that the Pegulas love Botteril.....and I do think he's going to get the chance to reshape this roster with our cap room next year.

That said, I'm also pretty sure that if he falls flat this offseason and the team doesn't look appreciably better next year he's in trouble.

EDIT: I also look at it this way: we're one point ahead of NHL 0.500 pace. If you were to say to me "After the first quarter of the season, we'd be at 23 points through 22 games with a goal differential of -4"......I think I'd take that. I think what is making this so hard for some fans is that we started out looking great and cooled off. No consistency. Let's see what happens now. I can certainly imagine a scenario where we get consistent and end up around 85/90 points............which I think is where many expected us to be.

What cap space? Unless Okposo retires, after replacing filler players, giving likely raises to Reinhart, Olofsson, Mitts, Montour and saving enough space for Dahlin's payday to be, there isn't some stockpile of tens of millions that they can overpay to lure some top line player or two.

Maybe I'm mistaken, but that seems like a crazy plan. Particularly looking at the ufa list, yikes not a lot of guys I would expect to make it to ufa who are interesting and likely to pick a rebuilding team with no direction.

If the team really does figure it out over the season, I could see them being more appealing to ufa's.

But them figuring it out probably means that Reinhart goes ppg and Dahlin jumps up a level and those contracts get pricier.

What a way to spend three years.

 

[Jim Bob]

And when non of the good FAs are coming to Buffalo, we'll spend all the money on more defenders and Veseys of the world.

Can't wait, what a great plan.

Good FAs such as?

 

[sabremike]

Good FAs such as?

I believe you just accidentally stumbled onto the biggest flaw of the miracle cap space plan.

 

[sabremike]

She should've just stayed away from screen time. She meant well, she just didn't know what she was doing.

And as I am typing this, I'm realizing I'm foreshadowing my comments for a later date, to be determined.

But will we ever get a Kim Pegula action figure?

 

[sabrebuild]

I believe you just accidentally stumbled onto the biggest flaw of the miracle cap space plan.

Its not a great list, and the difference makers are super unlikely in my mind.

Make a move for Hall today. Get as much time for him with the guys to bond.

Put him on a line with Sam or Jack, him and Skinner on separate lines. Overpay him with the extra year. And hope he decides to stay.

Risto, 2020 first, Tage and Laaksonnen. I suspect the Devils bite on something like that if the rumors he is leaving are true. Maybe you have to chip in an extra pick. But for a rental, thats a good price even for a Hall level player.

Hall Eichel Girgs
Skinner Marjo Reinhart
Olofsson Asplund Mitts
Sobotka Larson Vesey

Fourth line is but for the rest of the year, but would be fixable next year.

Your first line is world destroying. Second line is top quality.

Third line is the kid line you give the eady matchups to and hope the wingers produce in a lesser role.

Maybe New Jersey won't go for it. But its one of the few realistic options thay I could see happening, that flay out improves the team and doesn't take away from today or tomorrow's roster.

Its a huge gamble. But if it works and you lock up Hall, you basically have a better foundation than what Toronto has with Dahlin on defense.

Go get him Botts and all is forgotten.

 

[Snippit]

Its not a great list, and the difference makers are super unlikely in my mind.

Make a move for Hall today. Get as much time for him with the guys to bond.

Put him on a line with Sam or Jack, him and Skinner on separate lines. Overpay him with the extra year. And hope he decides to stay.

Risto, 2020 first, Tage and Laaksonnen. I suspect the Devils bite on something like that if the rumors he is leaving are true. Maybe you have to chip in an extra pick. But for a rental, thats a good price even for a Hall level player.

Hall Eichel Girgs
Skinner Marjo Reinhart
Olofsson Asplund Mitts
Sobotka Larson Vesey

Fourth line is but for the rest of the year, but would be fixable next year.

Your first line is world destroying. Second line is top quality.

Third line is the kid line you give the eady matchups to and hope the wingers produce in a lesser role.

Maybe New Jersey won't go for it. But its one of the few realistic options thay I could see happening, that flay out improves the team and doesn't take away from today or tomorrow's roster.

Its a huge gamble. But if it works and you lock up Hall, you basically have a better foundation than what Toronto has with Dahlin on defense.

Go get him Botts and all is forgotten.

Risto + 2020 1st + Tage + Laaksonen is an absurd overpayment for a rental guy, especially for a team that's not a contender.

Just wait until UFA if you plan on overpaying him anyways.

Regardless, I think Hall, after playing on garbage teams his whole career, is not interested in another dumpster fire franchise.

 

[sabrebuild]

Risto + 2020 1st + Tage + Laaksonen is an absurd overpayment for a rental guy, especially for a team that's not a contender.

Just wait until UFA if you plan on overpaying him anyways.

Regardless, I think Hall, after playing on garbage teams his whole career, is not interested in another dumpster fire franchise.

Is it really? For a deal done asap, before xmas?

You get an MVP winger, who can dominate a line by himself or create a second dynamic line, and you get time to sell him on why you are not some dumpster fire.

What am I trading away? A rhd defender on a decent deal that doesn't fit and we have plenty of replacements for? A giraffe who may become an ok middle 6 winger, maybe? A prospect dman who may be useful, but likely not. The big give is the first this year.

I'm fairly confident of two things. First if you make a move like that, you are bound to get a reaction from the team. A real shake up that improves the team. It would also fix a huge whole in the top 6. Second, I believe adding a Hall level talent at the cost of Risto on the roster today, would likely put them in contention for the playoffs. Both mitigating the loss of the first rounder and actually you know, winning.

Look there won't be any perfect solutions, there never is.

But I can assure you, there is no chance Taylor Hall is picking Buffalo as a straight free agent. That is never happening. Seduce him, with contract terms, comfort with the area, Jack.

 

[Snippit]

Is it really? For a deal done asap, before xmas?

You get an MVP winger, who can dominate a line by himself or create a second dynamic line, and you get time to sell him on why you are not some dumpster fire.

What am I trading away? A rhd defender on a decent deal that doesn't fit and we have plenty of replacements for? A giraffe who may become an ok middle 6 winger, maybe? A prospect dman who may be useful, but likely not. The big give is the first this year.

I'm fairly confident of two things. First if you make a move like that, you are bound to get a reaction from the team. A real shake up that improves the team. It would also fix a huge whole in the top 6. Second, I believe adding a Hall level talent at the cost of Risto on the roster today, would likely put them in contention for the playoffs. Both mitigating the loss of the first rounder and actually you know, winning.

Look there won't be any perfect solutions, there never is.

But I can assure you, there is no chance Taylor Hall is picking Buffalo as a straight free agent. That is never happening. Seduce him, with contract terms, comfort with the area, Jack.

There's no way Taylor Hall is picking Buffalo period. Guy has been on losing teams for his whole career. I'm sure he wants to go to an actually decent franchise.

It's a gamble as you say, but not a very good one. If we're spending top assets like a 2020 1st, I want to see players with term added to the lineup.

 

[truthbluth]

Fire this turd. That’s it. That’s the tweet.

 

[sabrebuild]

There's no way Taylor Hall is picking Buffalo period. Guy has been on losing teams for his whole career. I'm sure he wants to go to an actually decent franchise.

It's a gamble as you say, but not a very good one. If we're spending top assets like a 2020 1st, I want to see players with term added to the lineup.

Well if that's how you feel don't gas me up about going after him in free agency.

You could say the exact same thing about Skinner and not resigning. Fact is we have multiple examples of people resigning with the team. Much less so, big impact free agents.

I'm looking around the league, and Mack is probably the only realistically available superstar.

This team is in need of a talent influx. Call me crazy, but I'd rather take my chances on convincing Hall to play for us for 11 a year, rather than hope Botts or some other idiot can do better than Mitts or Nylander at 7-12 in the draft.

 

[sabrebuild]

Unpopular opinion on hf and all of our scouting acumen. Draft picks are significantly overrated.

A top 2 pick is worth absolute gold. Top 5, pretty good, but no guarantee.

After that, between time for development and risk of not developing, most teams would be better off dealing those picks for proven talent.

Plenty of obvious additional comments could go in here, tanking teams or fresh rebuilding teams have all the reason in the world to draft and roll the dice on development. Don't trade for players that are old with really bad contracts. Etc.

But man, how does this team perform if the reported Fowler deal gets done?

16-17
No Eichel injury to start the year and Fowler comes in to join Risto, Broke, Kulikov and company.

Do they break 90 points? Maybe.

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Unpopular opinion on hf and all of our scouting acumen. Draft picks are significantly overrated.

Im at the point where im trading every possible pick we have if necessary to get this roster to where it needs to be. We develop terribly

 

[Moskau]

Im at the point where im trading every possible pick we have if necessary to get this roster to where it needs to be. We develop terribly

We should pay teams picks to develop players for us. We could loan Mittelstadt to a real team for a year and give them a free 3rd round pick. Our 2022 3rd round pick of course because we traded our 2021 for Jimmy Vesey.

 

[sabresnyper]

Skinner-Eichel-Olofsson
Hall-Mitts-Reinhart (or swap 37 and 23)

not bad, IMO

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

While I agree that trading for Hall is an asinine idea because there’s no way he wants to move on to yet another tire fire franchise, and the suggested prices here are absurd for a rental, one has to consider that acquiring Hall also means the Sabres draft lottery odds shoot to like 66% for 1st overall.